Posted on 01/04/2005 9:07:33 PM PST by CHARLITE
Life on the Information Super-Highway!
One of the most interesting developments of the 2004 election was the impact that the “new media” (internet/bloggers) had on the election process. Just ask Dan Rather, George Soros, or John Kerry himself for that matter. Big Brother clearly has a new BIGGER Brother…and guess who is standing watch now…
The nation of the people, by the people, for the people are now able to engage directly in the process of self-governance with ease at lightening speed, gaining real-time information, and reacting to that information swiftly, (no pun intended).
Washington is obligated under Constitutional Law to not only represent we the people, but to reflect the ideals and wishes of we the people as well. Why is it surprising to anyone, that a nation, 90% of whom are of the Christian faith, would have a representative government which reflects that?
It’s clear that the Washington elite, as well as the media elite, have not been acting in our best interests for quite some time, focused more on their own self-interests, and the preservation of their power, at our expense.
Prior to the internet, we the people were limited to a Right of redress when our elected officials acted outside our interests. Of course, this was if and when the American people became aware of a wrong doing, and after the horse was already out of the barn trampling all over our flowerbed.
For many years, the mainstream press sold itself as the peoples watchdog, the friend we could count on to keep an eye on Big Brother, shoot us the skinny, free and unfettered. Most of us have known for some time that the ex-mainstream press had violated that trust with the people long ago. But in 2004, it became glaringly obvious to all that they were acting entirely upon their own agenda, without regard for truth, or the peoples Right to know the unfiltered facts.
Even after being busted over and over, the “old press” remains as committed to their political agenda as ever. As a result, they have forfeited their useful place in this nation of self-governed people, who have a Right to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
They say necessity is the mother of invention. I say it is the father of innovation as well, and the internet found its most powerful place in society as a direct result of the “old media” creating the need for people to seek honest information elsewhere.
Politicians and media elites have operated under the misguided belief that they must spoon feed pre-digested information to a public too ignorant to digest raw facts themselves, in filtered portions small enough for any infant to digest…Oop’s!
It turns out that when we the people are armed with simple unfiltered facts, we are fully capable of making sound decisions ourselves. We don’t really need or want politicians or media elites deciding what we should or should not know, let alone what we should think about what we know.
In fact, 2004 proved that the people are even able to sift through a mountain of disinformation on the web, and ferret out real facts on their own pretty well, without anyone’s help. The free flow of real-time information simply provided the much needed opportunity to do so, an opportunity the “old media” would never allow.
Now, somebody (namely politicians and media elites) convinced many Americans (over time), that it is not our job to be “judgmental”, but rather to just openly accept all ideas spoon-fed to us by them. Hogwash!
Life is all about making judgments, which usually result in decisions, all of which have consequences. Bad information causes bad judgments, which lead to bad decisions and they almost always end in bad consequences.
If you bought into the theory that it is not proper for you to make judgments in life, whether regarding your personal affairs, social issues, or the running of your country, you have made the first bad judgment and you won’t need to look far to see the natural consequences.
Real information, real-time, is needed in order to make good judgments, and the internet has made this information available at our fingertips. We are no longer dependent upon the Walter Cronkite’s or Dan Rather’s for what we believe. We are able to research the facts, and draw our own conclusion, much to the dismay of the elites who once controlled public opinion, and therefore public policy with their headlines.
So what now? Well for starters, media elites better start searching for a new career I think. The people are now able to know when they are being misled by the media, and so far, they don’t appear to like it much, resulting in a dramatic drop in ratings for all network news programs…
Then, I would suggest that the Washington elite get up to speed with the fact that we the people can now know what they are up to, even before they commit the offense. Passing legislation, making policy is a lengthy complex process. They can’t get it done faster than we can find out about it anymore.
Ask Arlen Specter how effective the internet can be at righting a wrong, before it even occurs…
Last, I suggest that my fellow Americans get used to the idea that they will need to do a little homework of their own on a regular basis, in order to know what their elected officials are doing on their behalf, with their money, with their country. Then plan on reacting via the internet when appropriate.
Yes indeed, times, they are a changing…We have ourselves a whole new ballgame, and this time, the American people will be writing the rulebook…
Big Brother’s BIGGER Brother has come of age, and as a result, the power in America has been returned to the people, where it belongs!
Who’s standing watch? Millions of average Americans, probably in their underwear, at their computer in the spare bedroom, that’s who. Not so funny now, is it Dan?
About the Writer: J. B. Williams notes that he is a business man, husband, father, and a writer. His website is at http://www.jb-williams.com.
J. B. receives e-mail at JBW@JB-Williams.com.
good read bump!
>>Washington is obligated under Constitutional Law to not only represent we the people, but to reflect the ideals and wishes of we the people as well. <<
Constitutional Law has been banished.
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